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Slideshow « What’s my father’s first name!!!???

What’s my father’s first name!!!???

Well, I actually started my world tour, on Thursday November 4th 2010 from Hanover to Beirut. It will stick in my mind like August 6th 1992 when I left Frankfurt to Detroit for a student exchange year. Back then it changed my life, will this trip too?

Important, the flight and Beirut is completely relaxed. The city you can imagine like some Spanish or Italian town, cafes and restaurant everywhere. Never seen such a density of high class cars and SUV´s. The University really is like her name, American, big in size and as comfy as it gets. Cafeteria next to water fountains, a gym that would make Bayern Munich jealous and so on. To round this up, last night my walk home for 40minutes at 11pm could not have been safer.

But you do see everywhere (next to malls and fancy hotels) destroyed houses, marked from bomb hits etc. The boarding in Frankfurt took long as each passenger was checked for Israel stamps or notes in the passport. Make the link yourself. I will get into this another time, when I have learned more about it.

On the flight I met Gino who gave me a right to the hotel at 3am, very kind. He told me a lot about the political situation etc. He also answered my question why everybody everywhere asks for my father’s first name (visa, hotel etc) which I found odd. Its because the middle name here is always reserved for that. I have no middle name, should I still fill it in???? Hopefully my question will stay that harmless. Gino and I might meet again today.

Frederik and Oliver (see picture) approached me at the Marathon fair with the following phrase: “Na, Du bist doch auch aus Deutschland….” Do I look soooo German and is that a good thing????!!! We went for Italian food and they informed / scared me about Sunday’s marathon. Yes there are 28.000 participants in the event…………….but 27.500 do the events of 1, 3 and 10km. That leaves 500 for the marathon. It will be lonely, hot, lonely, hard and lonely for me on Sunday between 7:15 and hopefully 11:15 on Beirut’s streets.

Last word on feelings. Coming for “Frische Brise” and slightly rainy and 12 degrees in Hanover to sunny, 28degrees and waterfront in Beirut gives that immediate kick of holiday and no work. Realizing that this could be the situation for 1,5 years is just strange, hard to handle.

Enjoy your weekend. Tschau FRANK

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12 Comments

  • Mathias says:

    Es geht los…. yeah!!!
    :)

    Alles Beste wünschen Dir die 4 Ds aus Freiburg…

  • Tom says:

    Alles Gute für Deinen Trip und den Marathon morgen! Beste Grüße aus Kapstadt. Die 4 S :-)

  • Jan says:

    Hallo Frank, schön zum lesen! und dass nur nach eine Täge aber wie sagt man auf Deutch: gut angefangen ist eine halbe Sieg?
    Unhabhängig von deine Zeit im Marathon heute, ist dort teilnehmen schon eine ganse wunderbare Sieg!
    Viel Spass noch und hoffentlich noch viele Posts!
    Jan

    • frank4444 says:

      Thanks Jan, it was a hard race but I finished in 4:15h. I will post about it once I got a couple of pictures of it.
      Have a good start into the week. FRANK

  • toto says:

    platz 155… das ist wohl die beste platzierung, die du bisher erreicht hast… glückwunsch !!!

  • 4:15… not too bad buddy :) . enjoying ur website. keep it up. lets chat on the net one of these days! enjoy!

  • Gabor says:

    Gabor,

    Ist es nicht ein gutes Gefühl zu wissen, dass du Dich wahrscheinlich an jeden einzelnen Tag der kommenden 18 Monate erinnern wirst, während hier jeder Tag dasselbe bringt wie der vorherige und der davor … .

    Grüße aus München – zurück vom Kap, mit guten Hoffnungen und den besten Wünschen für Deine Reise, auf bald.

  • Jörg says:

    Hey Frank, hier mal einige Tipps zum Thema “Food” in der arabischen Welt. Unbedingt probieren musst du Humus (Kichererbsenpaste) mit frisch gebackenem Fladenbrot – du wirst es lieben! Auch nicht zu verachten ist alles, was vom Grill kommt, z.B. Lammhack-Spieße. Was du auch mal testen solltest, ist natürlich ne gepflegte Wasserpfeife (auch als Nichtraucher) – hier speziell Apfel- oder Orangengeschmack.

    Ansonsten wünsch ich Dir ne super Zeit, die Augen und Ohren immer offen halten und ALLE Eindrücke intensiv genießen!

    Der Jörsch

    • frank4444 says:

      Oh boy, you are so right. I had everything you mentioned and it is delicious. Tabouleh has become my favorite salad. I love that stuff.
      Tschau FRANK

  • gino says:

    Frank will make it; he has his mind into it; he is going with the flow and even getting some people to go along; we attended a very “interesting” presentation on the relation ship between Cluster bombs, its creators and its victims… Frank will tell you more about it i am sure…. :-)
    i don’t know if i will see Frank again but i wish him good luck in his venture…
    Gino, the first guy he saw going to Beirut

  • Astrid says:

    Hi Großer, schön auf deiner Seite immer mal was von dir zu lesen:)Glückwunsch zu Platz 155!Du läufst in 4:15h ein ganzen Marathon- das ist die Zeit, die ich brauche um mit dieser “Technik” hier klar zu kommen…GRINS Have a nice Week!!! Your Sister

  • Els says:

    Hi Frank, what an exciting adventure and how great what you will experience in the coming months traveling around seeing various beauties of the world. Take care and will follow you from time to time. ENJOY!!! Best regards, Els Stuurman

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